<p>The data content that can be accessed via the GBIF portal depends on data publishers around the world making their data available to users across the Internet.  Here are some instructions for those who have datasets that they would like to connect to the GBIF network.</p>

<h4>Classes of data</h4>

<p>At present GBIF is working towards handling the following classes of data:
<ul><li> <strong>Names and classifications</strong> - the GBIF portal depends on high-quality information about the names assigned to different organisms and how they fit into an overall classification.  GBIF can process such datasets if they are made accessible using either the <a href="http://www.tdwg.org/">TDWG</a> <a href="http://www.tdwg.org/activities/tnc/tcs-schema-repository/">Taxon Concept Schema</a> format, or as tab-delimited or comma-separated records in a range of formats.  Types of names datasets of interest to GBIF include:

<ul><li> Authoritative details on authorship, publications and type specimens associated with scientific names
</li><li> Published taxonomies for groups of organisms
</li><li> Lists of common names in different languages that are associated with scientific names of species
</li><li> Regional checklists of species that occur in a country or other region
</li><li> Legislative checklists such as Red Lists
</li></ul></li><li> <strong>Occurrence records</strong> - information on the occurrence of species at particular locations and on particular dates.  GBIF handles these data using either the <a href="http://www.tdwg.org/">TDWG</a> <a href="http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/DarwinCore/WebHome">Darwin Core</a> or the <a href="http://www.tdwg.org/">TDWG</a> <a href="http://wiki.tdwg.org/ABCD">ABCD Schema</a> format and using the <a href="http://www.tdwg.org/">TDWG</a> <a href="http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/TAPIR/">TAPIR</a> data access protocol, or one of its predecessors (<a href="http://digir.sourceforge.net/">DiGIR</a> or <a href="http://www.biocase.org/products/provider_software/index.shtml">BioCASe</a>).  Datasets of interest include:

<ul><li> Catalogues of specimens held in the collections of natural history museums and herbaria
</li><li> Catalogues of the holdings of living collections (botanical gardens, culture collections, seed banks, zoos, etc.)
</li><li> Databases of field observations
</li></ul></li><li> <strong>Links and images</strong> - links to additional information or images for species.  GBIF is interested in making connections to other web resources that are sharing quality information and images that are organised by species.</li></ul>
</p>

<h4>Connecting data to the GBIF network</h4>

<p>The basic steps to take to connect a dataset to the GBIF network are given in the step-by-step guide, although new mechanisms are being developed. Before beginning, it is wise to check for the latest information by visiting <a href="introduction">http://data.gbif.org/tutorial/introduction</a> or sending an e-mail to <a href="mailto:portal@gbif.org">portal@gbif.org</a>.</p>

<h5>Step-by-step guide</h5>

<ol type="1"><li> Read the GBIF <a href="datasharingagreement">Data Sharing Agreement</a> to ensure that the terms are both acceptable to the data publisher and are met by the dataset.
</li><li> Make the dataset accessible online in one of the supported formats mentioned above.  (GBIF will also be extending the range of supported formats over time.)
</li><li> Register the dataset with GBIF. (A new registration process will be made available during the third quarter of 2007.  This will give data publishers more flexibility in controlling their registration than is currently the case.)
</li><li> The registration process requires each data publisher to nominate one of the GBIF participant countries or organisations (see <a href="http://www.gbif.org">http://www.gbif.org</a> under "Current GBIF Members" for the most up-to-date list) to approve its inclusion within the network.  This should normally be the country in which the data publisher is located or an organisation with thematic or regional relevance to the data publisher.  In case of difficulty, send an e-mail to <a href="mailto:portal@gbif.org">portal@gbif.org</a>.

</li><li> Once the registration has been approved, GBIF will index the records from the dataset in a test instance of the GBIF portal, and will give the data publisher an opportunity to review their presentation.
</li><li> After review, the records will be made accessible through the GBIF portal.  Updates to the dataset will be processed and indexed by GBIF at regular intervals.</li></ol>
